36 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 6 



In addition to this charge t-he amount expended in lotions and such 

 preparations must be very considerable. 



Agricultural and Vital Losses Compared 



We are in now a position to compare the losses due to insects which 

 carry diseases with those which affect the crops grown in the United 

 States. The most complete account of the total losses caused by 

 insects to farm products with which we are familiar is that of Mr. C. L. 

 Marlatt in his paper in the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture 

 for 1904. He estimated a total loss of $795,100,000. Our estimate 

 of the losses caused by disease transmitted by insects is approximately 

 one half as great as that caused to all farm products. It is altogether 

 likely that the actual losses will very nearly equal those occurring 

 with farm products. Surely this is a sufficient argument for greater 

 attention to medical entomology. 



A few comparisons are of striking interest. The codling moth, 

 according to Mr. Marlatt's estimate, causes an annual loss in the 

 United States of $20,000,000, or only a fifth of that due to the insects 

 connected with either malaria or tuberculosis transmission. The loss 

 due to the Hessian fly varies greatly from year to year but is estimated 

 as averaging about $40,000,000, less than one half that occurring in 

 the case of malaria. The damage to all the cereal crops in the United 

 States is only equal to that occurring in tuberculosis and malaria com- 

 bined, while the damage to natural forests and forest products is 

 estimated to be the same as that in either malaria or tuberculosis. 



To obtain a foundation for the comparison we have made we have 

 attempted conservatively to reduce the loss in human life to a pecuniary 

 basis. Although this may have been useful in impressing the point, 

 it really does an injustice to medical entomology. The two branches 

 are radically different in one important respect. One deals with mate- 

 rial losses and the other with a reduction in the vital force of the 

 nation. Is it right to compare the loss of a human life with the loss 

 of 28 bales of cotton or 1700 bushels of wheat? The loss in cotton or 

 wheat might be made good in another region or during another season, 

 but for the life that is lost there is no compensation. The recent 

 developments, therefore, bring a new interest into entomology and 

 also give to the entomologist a portion of the respect and honor which 

 has always been given the physician on account of his work in saving 

 and prolonging life. 



